One of the first things that people who have been involved in a car accident know to do afterward is to exchange insurance information with the other involved party. Because Ohio is a fault state regarding car accidents, you need the other involved party’s insurance information in order to file a claim with their auto insurer.
Unfortunately, knowing who to file the claim with is only the first step in the claims process. Continue reading to learn more about what happens after you file the claim and what you can expect from not only the insurance company, but also from your claim as a whole.
What You Can Expect from the Insurance Company
You may be surprised to learn that the insurance company probably isn’t on your side, and they may not care about getting you the justice you deserve. In fact, many insurance companies only have one thing in mind—protecting their profits.
When you file your claim, if the insurer settles, they’ll be losing money. The insurance adjuster may try to make you admit fault or twist your word. They could even try to trick you into accepting an offer for significantly less compensation than your case is worth.
If you hope to avoid being taken advantage of by the insurance company, it may be in your best interests to have legal counsel on your side as you navigate the negotiations with the insurer.
What You Can Expect from Your Car Accident Claim
The insurance company may be obligated to settle your claim up to the maximum limits of the insured’s policy. But this can create a lot of confusion if your losses exceed this limit.
For example, let’s say that your losses were valued at $100,000 but the liable party’s insurance policy is only valued at $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage. Since the insurance company is only required to compensate a victim up to the limits of the policy, in this case, $25,000 is their legal obligation.
But how do you go about obtaining compensation for the other $75,000 in losses? The answer to that will vary on a case-by-case basis. Some people may choose to move forward with a civil lawsuit against the liable party, while others may give up and just try to forget the accident, working themselves even harder to try to pay for their losses themselves.
Your accident lawyer can help you explore all avenues of financial recovery so you can go on to rebuild your life and put this traumatic experience behind you.
Reach Out to an Accident Lawyer
When you have been involved in a serious car accident and are unsure what is going to happen next, contact a respected lawyer at Rafidi, Pallante & Melewski LLC for help.
When you are ready to get started on your case, simply complete the convenient contact form on our website or call our office at 1-866-494-5387 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.